Inside the Metal
by Writing1sLife
Summary: Trapped in a form of metal and wires. Alone, but for his mind, and growing desperation and insanity.
1. Chapter 1

"_**Kind of drives you crazy, doesn't it? When you realize you can't cry in one of these things. There's a lot that's fuzzy. But some moments, some memories... Are you still human if you can't cry? Or sleep? Or dream?"**_

. . . . . .

"_**They were there. They were waiting. Threw everything they had into capturing you… You disappeared."**_

. . . . . .

**The beginning…or was it the end? Maybe both. It hurt to lower the barriers and recall it. It was the most vivid thing. That, and the feeling of being entombed. The only thing worse was the pain.**

**Dropping into the city. Prepared for anything but what happened. They were there, and then they crawled out of the woodwork, came from all directions and angles. Suddenly there was a desperate need to escape, a sense of uncommon desperation.**

**They simply kept coming. Fight was not the option, only flight; very desperate, and panicked flight. On top of a building attempting to get clear, somehow, for extraction, and yet they were climbing that too fast.**

**A leg snared and then more cables attaching, straining tight, pulling until taut to keep immobilized, and then the pressing weight of the spider-like tanks in order to crush the remaining resistance. Calling for help, yet nothing coming, just a craft from the enemy to collect him.**

**And then…**

**Then blackness. A blur of events. Trapped inside a form of metal, wires, and data. Helplessness. Hopelessness. Abandonment.**

**Cold, logical comments and readings about himself. Trapped in a body that could not avoid the sense of a living tomb. Separate from flesh, seeds of betrayal, desperation to be free of the cold isolation.**

**Initially resistant, and then finally finding the desire for freedom so strong. Would do anything, **_**anything**_**, to be free again.**

**They have another. **_**Had**_** to had made another. If…could just…get rid of that… Kill. Kill the copy. KILL the copy. KILL THE COPY!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Cuts across body, limbs pulled off, reattached, pieces removed and/or replaced, and worst of all, painfully away the whole time.**

**It only added fuel to the fire. Only added to the burning inside the mind. The indoctrination was nothing really, compared to the whisper of promise. Nothing else mattered but the promise. That was the only thing that mattered any more. Readied, and then, at long last, it was time.**

. . . . . .

**Years of torture and indoctrination. The torture and modification were what left real marks. Years of not seeing the sky, of feeling anything that was "real", of freedom denied. It all added up, to create an emptiness, detachment, void that could not be filled.**

**A mission at last. A chance to regain what might have been lost. But there was no feeling for the task. Merely…compliance. The years had robbed any need to speak or express oneself. Now there was only a task to accomplish, and violence was but a means to an end to accomplish said task.**

**Dallas, Texas. That was the sight of deployment. Targets did not know anything. They were coming but knew nothing. Plan was simple isolation and retrieval.**

**The bait was taken. The roar of the aircraft announced arrival of the prey.**

**No more waiting. They would see. And then they would know nothing ever again but darkness.**


	3. Chapter 3

**(Dallas, Texas)**

**Ready for battle, ready for **_**them**_**.**

**Isolate a target; and take its mind. Simple. Nothing else mattered. **

**The nanotech was like a second limb now. It was simple to ask it to do what was needed. It permitted the ability to concentrate on the important things.**

**All that he needed do was listen in order to know the first target. Listening in the channels, listening to the chatter and observing the movements upon the map, gathering information from the forces deployed in the city.**

**The target, a female from the voice, was young and unprepared. Only two of the targets were professional enough.**

**Once the attack was finished and their attention was elsewhere, it was time to act.**

. . . . . .

**Cammie turned and saw a figure approaching. "Oh h-hey, look at me. Still not shootin' anybody I know." Then she paused. "Kazu? You get bigger or somethin'? Your camo's gone all weird."**

"**What?"**

**Something was strange, and the holon had this strange purple fog surrounding it. It was also slouched for some reason.**

. . . . . .

**The target was still confused and uncertain. How must he look to her? He knew of his strange appearance, but it meant nothing to him. He was slouched, something he had no control over really. His body moved seemingly of its own accord, his mind numbly registering that the target was actually scared and blindly firing at him. He just kept taking one step closer after another, the nano spreading and misting around his feet and back. Then he unveiled the second set of arms from the triple-segmented shoulders he possessed in his new form. The nano spread at his will, forming into a massive dome that startled the target out of its retreat and silenced communication. Nobody could see what was going on inside, and nobody could interfere. The targets would all have to come to him, where he was waiting.**

**His prey was uncertain and alone. She couldn't do anything, and her weapon was not going to save her. He took her by the head and began to feed off her fear. First, he pulled and twisted the head off, so she would be blind. Next, he made certain that his blind and panicked prey was immobile, so he pinned her to take advantage of her helplessness. She was screaming, but the gruesomeness of his actions were like water rolling over a stone to him. He heard, but he was not affected. He simply kept pulling apart her "body", knowing her "heart" and "mind" were located.**

**Almost done, only needed to take hold of it, and pull.**

**A breach in the nano! Another holon!**

**He was knocked off balance and he, along with his attacker, fell from the collision. He quickly recovered and charged. Take his eyes out! Interference must not happen with his task!**

**This one knew how to fight, but he was alone, and had yet to face an opponent like that which he faced now. The numb and focused mind simply…disappeared for a little while. The "animal", that which thrived on violence, came into action. Cold and logical action was replaced by a fierce and violent momentum that would do whatever was necessary to achieve goals, at any cost.**

**He unbalanced his foe, then tackled and pinned him, yet this foe was more determined and prepared to resist. Weapon fire. Two others now came, one armed with nothing more than bare hands and improvised weapons, the other with duel guns. He dealt with the one and dashed the two physical combatants together. **

**The weapon-wielder did their very best to keep their distance. He danced about and swung with violent skill and ferocity. They struck at him with coordination of limited effectiveness. He had endured far worse from his capture and rebirth than this. Their blows couldn't stop him, their skill was visible, but it would not stop him from destroying them.**

**He managed to get the best combatant by the arms and was straining for the head, but then the first attacker, the blue one, was there unbalancing him. He spun his arms free and knocked them off him with a forceful push. But just as he resumed his attack, they caught him and held him steady for strange reason.**

**Impact! A violent strike hit him right in the head. A sniper. He hadn't thought to think of such an attack. He lost control of the dome and it fell away, stripping him bare and exposed to them.**

**Momentum…shifted. His thoughts…couldn't focus. A voice speaking to one of the holons. Too familiar. Capture was not an option. He could not fight like this. He needed time that would not be given if he stayed, and there was too much static in his thoughts now from the blow and that familiar voice.**

**He ran as fast as he could. Retreat, regroup, reorganize. Understand what was happening inside his head.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Cracks**

**They manifested upon the grid. But he wasn't exactly in the best shape to be going after them. But he had his mission to fulfill. What was this all going on? Why did he keep hearing all this noise? **_**Someone please stop all this buzzing.**_** Perhaps this was why his body couldn't move properly. But he needed…needed answers. He must complete his mission. And… "Kill the c-copy-zzz."**

**Had he just spoken out loud to himself? His voice; it was so, strange, and odd. He was suddenly aware that he was occasionally twitching, and his body would sway and arc in strange ways even when he was just walking. What was all of this? Was it because he was outside and not **_**inside**_**?**

**Inside. He was still…inside of…himself. His…self? His thoughts and everything, couldn't focus, needed, **_**wanted**_**, out.**

**Something was wrong with him. But that countered what was wrong to begin with. **_**Everything**_** was wrong. He needed… something that he lacked right now.**

**No face. No mouth. No ears. Nothing.**

**A voice, but one that made no sense.**

**A body, but one that wasn't anything "real".**

**And memories that…were they even his? What was real? Trapped between, whatever he had become for his captors, and…what he had once been.**

**Could feel; **_**knew what was REAL**_**. Need that again. **_**Not for them, just need out. Can't take anymore.**_

**Nobody was there to really look at him, but the Union was not truly concerned. They should have been. Cracks were forming in the "box" of sorts that they had constructed for his world to be. He couldn't keep stable or coherent. The man was starting to return. And the machine was struggling to keep balance.**

. . . . . .

**For a change, their movements suggested that they were actually pushing into territory held by the "enemy" as they saw the Union. They were moving in a coordinated fashion, but the scientists they had run off would not be so easily dealt away with. **_**He**_** was waiting again.**

**They were fleeing in a getaway vehicle. But they had to stop. He was standing in the middle of the road, knowing the impact the mere sight of him would have.**

**What he did not expect to have impact was the sight of who was driving the stolen vehicle with the scientists on board. "Miranda," he breathed, his head lurching a little. She looked…scared of him? He didn't…want that…no, didn't matter she should be scared of this—yellow jumped at him and his instincts kicked in. He promptly seized the leg and threw his foe. Summon the nano in a cloud to block line of sight, and then simply take the one in front of him. He must complete the mission. But he was in open air; irrelevant. The green one behind him was struggling to find a solution, but the real problem was about to be taken out. She was a good combatant; had held against him quite well compared to all of the rest. Take her, take her now. The others were too far away to interfere this time.**

**Noise in the background of his mind. What **_**was**_** that? Didn't matter. Almost had the goal in reach… just needed one. The noise changed even as his prey began fighting back. He hurled her back towards green.**

"**Hey!" called green, cocky and seemingly unconcerned. What was this? "Shouldn't 'ave messed wi' us again!" Then she uttered a phrase not in English.**

"**Russian?" queried yellow with surprise from where she rested on the ground.**

**He clutched at his head. That noise…again… "Y-you t-th-think…too loud." He winced mentally. He knew which one to shut up. The Beast of Metal and Action was confused. "You haven't shut up since your birthday." Yeah, he knew their little secret of being born a second time in these metal forms. He could hear a lot; and it was starting to grate upon him.**

**The Beast took over and he was moving upon all six towards the stupid, little, **_**girl**_**; that had the stupidity to not even move. The wall of purple nano was behind her. No one could help her and yellow was too baffled to really try to respond.**

**BLANG! Struck in the torso! The sniper?! What-?! How had she made that shot with no clear sight upon him? This pain was not unusual this time. He embraced it and rose up. No retreat or stopping this time.**

**Then a shape crashed into him in a full-speed, full-body tackle. The first one to attack him! His doppelganger! His world went into a full-blown image of a kaleidoscope and all he could see was that which he hated most. He **_**knew**_**. Just **_**who**_**. Was **_**in**_**. This Holon. "L-le-et… the goo-ood times… roll," he breathed, his twitching become stronger.**

**His true self fully asserted itself. The double attacked but he countered with ease. **_**Doesn't matter that you can fly or nothin'. I can hear you and read you. I know what you are.**_** "C-Copy. Kill th-the copy." It was out of his mouth without him able to understand why he was saying it out loud, but it didn't matter. It actually helped because they were more confused than he was. A short number of hurried steps and he pounced. Got him. Tear out his worthless- **_**OW!**_** Another! Why?!**

**The red one! And now his copy was on him from the other side! Pinning him, weighing him down; no, he mustn't be taken! This was not supposed to happen! He could not let them do anything to him!**

**Finding himself very desperate to "live", he initiated the signal and began to pull. He must get free! No more chains, no more box; won't go back! Won'tgobackwon'tgoback… **_**WON'T!**_** His two imprisoned limbs began to tear, **_**GO! BACK!**_

**He ripped himself free leaving only the front right and the rear left attached. A line extended and he gave powerful jump. Caught it! But the copy grabbed him! Kick him off!**

**The copy fell away, but they remained staring after the other as the distance between them kept growing.**

_**This won't end until one of us is DEAD. You and me. Its just us and I will claw my way back from this and make those who abandoned me regret that. You will know my pain, but you will die. It doesn't matter what they do. I simply intend to live again, and then… I will take back everything that I have left.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Only ONE!**

"_**We started backing you up the instant the Gen:Lock initiative began."**_

"_**As the first candidate for the program, you were ultimately designated as one of the most valuable members of the Vanguard. Of the entire Polity really. When we picked up your SNR Beacon, it provided a much-needed glimmer of hope after a very terrible day."**_

"_**You clung to life with incredible ferocity. You took the deal. And then the work began. Once everything was ready, it was time to learn how to walk again. And you did just that, at an amazing rate."**_

"_**At the beginning of it all, we had exactly two of the electronic brains. Each time you uploaded we shunted a copy to the other."**_

"_**You were ready for missions much soon than expected. Your successes were encouraging to all. The Colonel's interest in Gen:Lock proceeded to reach a fever pitch… As did the Union's."**_

"_**It then went to Hades. The Union was there, ready and waiting. A simple mission became a terrifying ambush laced with panic and desperation. And all I could do was watch. Helpless. Hopeless. Afraid."**_

"_**And while the Colonel stormed off in anger, I continued watching…and watching; until the signal cut out."**_

"_**You disappeared. And the Colonel was not about to begin to spare any sympathy or effort to bring you back. And I knew the potential consequences."**_

. . . . . .

"**We are **_**not**_** discussing this Dr. Weller! That! Is! Final!"**

"**If we don't act, what then?! The Union has him as a prisoner inside the Holon now and he cannot escape!"**

"**A fault that is not mine but yours! You have failed me! I was promised an armada! I placed faith in your ability to help us fight back. And all I have gotten, is the loss and abduction of the **_**only**_** asset we had! Command needs something better than this."**

"**Now that is completely uncalled for. Chase took the deal we gave him, and I let you pressure me into ignoring the search for candidates. I also let you militarize my technology. Your emotional investment in this has caused us to reveal our hand too soon and—"**

"**You don't get to accuse me of this! I wanted to protect his secret because of the implications, but you have mishandled everything! Now the only one that we had is gone and the Union is going to get their hands upon this thanks to you! I need the strength to fight back and now it is gone!"**

"**We can get Chase back through the backup, but we could never reveal the truth…"**

"**Then hurry up and do it already! And do whatever it takes to advance this to the stage that we can start amassing a proper fighting force. We no longer have time for subtlety."**

"**Just like that?! This is not a machine we speak of! This is a human being! We cannot just go about doing **_**whatever**_** unless we wish to become the enemy! And we cannot keep making duplicates of his mind! There can be only one, **_**one**_** of him, blast it!"**

"**Just **_**do**_** it. And start finding more recruits. We will need to relocate in time. Presumably to the Anvil; it's more secure. That is the safest place for Chase. We must never let them truly take him or another Holon."**

**Weller turned back to the screen. "I've failed you Chase. And now, I don't know if I shall ever be able to make this right."**

. . . . . .

**The Colonel was staring off into the setting sun when Weller found her again. He was shocked to see her turn a face towards him with tears running down her cheeks.**

"**We failed him and ourselves." She was choked up and holding, somewhat, on to her composure.**

"**This was a mistake on our part. We rushed into this, while trying to keep Chase a secret, yet attempted to keep advancing the technology. This was a secret fear of mine, but also my concern with weaponizing Gen:Lock to begin with. The repercussions and fallout…" Weller simply trailed off and joined her at the rail and leaned upon it.**

**The Colonel inhaled a slow, shuddering breath. "This is the thing I hate about the appearance of us to the outside world. I am fighting a losing effort against them and can only fight to slow the advance. I don't even know what they want, and I cannot truly do much against them nor can my soldiers. We are cut off and isolated. Furthermore, my conscience and spirit cannot bear but so much of this. I am trying to handle this situation, but I cannot grasp my footing and now one of our best soldiers has been taken."**

**She turned to him. "Forgive my harsh and emotional words in there." She turned back to stare straight ahead. "They'll be delayed for a possible time by their prisoner. We cannot go looking for Chase though I wish we could. I shall at least try but nothing can be guaranteed. They could be taking him anywhere. We need to relocate you once you begin to make progress. They will want you to bring this mystery they have into light. I need you to advance this quickly enough that I have force that can help defend and even possibly attack. We need to go Phase 2 as swiftly as we can, no exceptions Weller."**

"**I am just a man and will do all that I can, but you must understand that this is still untapped in its potential. I am playing with power just like those of the Manhattan Project did and this tech rests only in my mind and hands." Weller sighed. "I don't like the thought of deceiving Chase. Worse, thinking about what could happen to the captured one. This was something I had not cautioned enough about, and I overestimated Chase's capabilities. He cannot escape the Holon. He is a prisoner of a metal shell **_**and**_** the Union."**

**The Colonel sighed bitterly. "We have no choice but to press forward, or risk more of the innocent and helpless. This is the bitter price of war. Terrible choices. And I have to keep making them so long as this conflict continues."**

**As she walked away, she quietly breathed, "I just want to die free of the concerns of all this violence and death. I cannot take this indefinitely."**


End file.
